A group of IP attorneys is joining Cooley LLP, according to a press release. The team includes Ivor R. Elrifi. Elrifi is the former co-chair of the Mintz Levin IP practice. Also at the head of the group is Heidi A. Erlacher. The group will operate in the Boston and New York offices of the firm.
“The addition of Ivor, Heidi, and their team establishes Cooley as one of the pre-eminent, fully integrated IP firms, with one of the largest national life sciences patent practices in the country,” said Jim Brogan, chair of the firm’s intellectual property practice, in the press release. “Recently, we have seen unprecedented growth in the life sciences industry, with countless companies receiving regulatory approval and accessing the public capital markets for the first time. This group’s deep experience and extensive relationships across the country and internationally will be invaluable as Cooley continues to lead at the forefront of complex IP representations.”
The IP practice at Cooley works with clients that range in experience from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. The practice was named to the “IP Hot List” of The National Law Journal in both 2012 and 2013.
“This is the right move at the right time,” said Ivor Elrifi. “It was a huge decision for Heidi and me, one that we considered very carefully. In Cooley, we see a truly national practice that connects the dots between life sciences and innovation. These are extremely exciting times in life sciences, as innovative services and therapies are increasingly coming to market. As traditional boundaries in science and technology are broken, it’s wonderful to join such a strong, ambitious and comprehensive practice at Cooley.”
Elrifi has worked with companies around the globe in various industries. These industries include the life sciences, pharmaceutical and biotechnology. Elrifi has represented these companies in cases involving the enforcement, licensing and prosecution of patents.
“Ivor and Heidi are highly talented IP practitioners who are skilled at counseling life sciences companies on a range of important matters, including guiding these companies through highly complex patent diligence and intense scrutiny of their strategic IP growth initiatives,” said Al Browne, partner-in-charge of Cooley’s Boston office. “Their impressive and widely acknowledged acumen in patent counseling and prosecution will provide significant value to our clients and complement our existing robust and sophisticated IP and patent teams.”
Elrifi previously worked as the patent counsel, vice president and general counsel for CytoTherapeutics Inc. Elrifi earned his B.S. and Ph.D. from Queen’s University and his law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School.
Erlacher works with clients involving cases of patent strategy, prosecution and counseling. His clients come from the life sciences, chemistry, biotechnology and biochemistry industries. Erlacher earned her B.A. from Clark University. She holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She earned her law degree from Suffolk University.
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